And on the other hand...

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Ordinary Time

The Roman Catholic liturgical calendar identifies the period from now until the beginning of Lent (which more or less coincides with Chinese New Year, the lunar thing) as something called Ordinary Time . In the Anglican tradition I learned that this was just the "Time after Epiphany" identified by the color green on vestments and calendars. But I kind of like this Roman concept (sounds like Vatican II to me), a bunch of days with no particular significance beyond being between major events. Ordinary.

But the days are really far from it. After several recent mornings that looked like this:

I awoke to this spectacular clarity today:

It was crisp and clean and clear. It was 62 degrees in my bedroom when I got up, about as cold as it ever gets in my neighborhood. My Christmas cactuses seem to be invigorated by the weather too. It's not ordinary time for them!

Tao With Me

TAO 61: A great nation flows downward into intercourse with the world. The female of the world always prevails over the male by stillness. Because stillness is considered lower, by lowering itself to a small nation a great nation takes a small nation; by being lower than a great nation a small nation takes a great nation. So one takes by lowering itself, another takes place by being lower. A great nation wants no more than to include and nurture people; a small nation wants no more than to admit and serve people. Both get what they want, so the great should be below.translated from the Tao Te Ching, Thomas CLeary